For real coastal lovers — long-distance hiking on Germany’s Störtebeker Trail

When I drive north, I feel calmer with every passing kilometer. The landscape becomes flatter, thatched cottages appear, and the air becomes increasingly clear. The German North Sea coast has a charm that hardly any other region has. It’s down-to-earth, simple and exudes a deep serenity. It’s where the unique Wadden Sea comes together with the idyllic salt marshes and dike landscape of East Frisia. You can explore this magnificent natural and cultural landscape on a particularly special long-distance hiking route – the Störtebeker Trail. This path runs along the coast of the East Frisian peninsula and leads you to the most beautiful lighthouses, small towns and beaches of the North Sea.

Endless expanses, wind, sea, pirate stories and a lot of sheep: this wonderful mixture will accompany you on the Störtebeker Trail. But not only that. In many places, you can dive deep into the nature of the Wadden Sea and the coast, whether in one of the modern museums on the way, the seal station in Norddeich or during a mudflat hike or cutter trip. In addition, cozy cafés and fish restaurants will take you again and again into the culinary world of the North.

From Leer, the city on the Ems, to Emden on the Dollart and through the most beautiful coastal towns to Wilhelmshaven: this North German long-distance hiking trail covers almost the entire coastline of Lower Saxony. It takes you right through the region that was haunted in the 14th century by the notorious pirate Klaus Störtebeker, who lends the trail its name. During the hike on the Störtebeker Trail, you’ll not only encounter wonderful coastal towns, but also spectacular stories about the famous buccaneer.

Officially, the Störtebeker Trail – which was created by the Wiehengebirgsverband Weser-Ems e.V. – has a length of 186 kilometers (116 mi). In this Collection, is a slightly longer version of 206 kilometers (128 mi), which I have divided into eight stages. The following applies: Flat, flatter, Störtebeker Trail. It really is that flat. The first two stages are a bit longer at just under 36 kilometers (22 mi), followed by tours of 17 to 28 kilometers (11–17 mi). Of course, you are free to divide the hike differently or to split a stage.

You don't need a car to reach the Trail, because both Leer and Wilhelmshaven are easily reached by train or bus. If you do want to drive to Leer, you can leave your car there for the duration of the hike. By bus and train you can reach your starting point in Wilhelmshaven from Leer in an hour and a half. Each stage ends in a coastal town that’s connected to the public transport network so it’s no problem if you only want to walk part of the trail. You can check possible connections at this link: vbn.de/en.

There are plenty of options for overnight stays along this coastal trail. It’s also useful to know that the ferries to the seven East Frisian islands (komoot.de/collection/1318027) leave from harbors along the Störtebeker Trail. The long-distance hike can therefore be wonderfully combined with a trip or two to one of the islands.